


Whisky and draughts

by Alevt



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28033479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alevt/pseuds/Alevt
Summary: Drabbles about the characters from this delightful show. Phrack mainly.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher & Jack Robinson, Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 42





	Whisky and draughts

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo!
> 
> I’m new to the fandom, only recently have finished all episodes (though I’ve seen a few ones a long time ago, when cable tv roamed this earth) and devoured almost all fics in this glorious fandom and decided to give it a try. 
> 
> I apologize for any English mishaps, it's not my first language.

It has been a while since Jack had called his mates to his house. But today was a special occasion and the blokes were more than happy to have a whole house all for themselves. They could jest and swear without the risk of offending the sensitivities of anyone.

A bit rusty of being the host, Jack thought on how Miss Fisher always seemed prepared for everything, she had, of course, Mr. Butler psychic abilities on her side. He tried his best though, providing his mates had always in their hands a bottle of beer and a platter full of snacks.

The wireless, an indulgence he allowed himself only recently, had already been tuned to the right station. They're more than an hour before the quick off, but the speaker poured the listeners with the information about the match and the teams, building the fan's anticipation.

Jack decided to settle himself on the sill of his front window and watch his friends discuss rather heatedly their chances on the championship. He was happy to have finally returned to their weekly meeting. The last couple of years of his marriage didn't make his house a good place for receiving guests and when Rosie left, he didn't want to. Everything began to change a few months ago and he was begrudgingly aware of why, but still not compelled to look at it very closely. For now he was living the little joys he had forgotten he had.

"What do you say, Robbo?"

"Pardon?"

"Do you wanna bet the score? Reddy and Paddo are in."

"Must I remember you, I am a police officer?"

"You cocky arse, it's just between us."

Jack smirked and tilted his head. "12 - 10"

"Aha!" His friend beamed and clinked his bottle to his.

His doorbell rang and the friends looked confused at one another.

"Are you expecting someone else, Robbo?"

"Not that I'm aware."

He walked to the door and hoped it wasn't his neighbors asking to fix their siphoning again, those things could be tricky and were smelly. What greeted him at the other side of the door was even trickier and smelled much, much nicely. And had feathers.

"Hello, Jack!"

For a moment he was stunned, not that she had never come to his house, but it was the first time she came unannounced and unexpected. She grinned at his flustered face and he forced himself to remember his manners and the dour expression he's supposed to bear.

"Good afternoon, Miss Fisher, please, come in."

Once she stepped inside his hall, she noticed he wasn't alone and her smile faltered a bit.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you had guests, Jack."

"It's that a lady's voice I'm hearing?" The tall, dark haired man came from the adjoining living room and took in the elegantly dressed woman in his friend's front hall. "Well, hello there."

He approached the lady and took her hand to kiss a greeting, the gesture causing Jack to roll his eyes to the back of his head. Phryne looked questioningly at Jack with amused eyes.

"This is Robert Smith." Jack provided, then gestured to the other two men in his living, who stood from the sofa to properly greet the woman. "Those are Phill Paddington and John Redcliffe. We're all mates from the army." He explained with a pointed look at her. "And this is the Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher."

Robert gave her his most gallant smile, he had always been the charmer of the group.

"I must say you're even more beautiful in person than in the photographs."

"Oh my, thank you, Mr. Smith." Phryne played along, more amused than anything, but couldn't avoid being curious, to know more about Jack's friends.

"Bob, please."

Jack cleared his throat, once again rolling his eyes and Phryne threw him her mockingly admonishing glare.

"Can I take you cloak, Miss Fisher?" He offered, always the gentleman.

"Oh, no, no. I don't want to intrude on anything, Jack." She looked a bit unsure now, while he closed the door with her inside the house.

"Is everything alright? Something happened?" He asked, concern filling his beautiful eyes and she smiled softly.

"No, Jack, it's just… I dropped by the station earlier and Hugh said you had taken the day off and… well, you  _ never _ take the day off, so I thought you had fallen ill with a cold or something." She smiled almost shyly, well as shy as Miss Fisher could muster. "I thought of coming by to see if you're alright, if you needed anything." And shrugged nonchalantly, now clearly a bit flustered, if you know where to look.

Jack's smile took all of his face, it was one of those rare smiles Phryne began to cherish and hoped to be the cause of them more often. 

"It's everything alright, Miss Fisher, but I appreciate the thoughtfulness. Really."

She noticed the other three men looking at them, trying to suppress their grins. She noted, as well, the scarfs around the men's necks.

"Oh, is it today? The big game?"

"Yes."

"And you took the day off and left poor Hugh on the clock?"

"I earned the right to do so, Miss Fisher."

"Fair enough... Well, I will leave you to that, Jack."

"There's no need to rush." Intervened Robert. "Why don't you share a drink with us, Miss Fisher?"

Jack snorted at his friend, offering drinks in his own house.

"What happened to the game's night, men's night rule, Bob?"

"There's still plenty of time before the game, Jackie."

"Jackie??"

"Don't ask, Miss Fisher."

"Oh, but I do ask, Inspector."

She quipped with mischief. Jack could only sigh and motioned to take her coat after all.

"Ah, I know many of Jack's most embarrassing tales."

"How delightful! Do tell."

"Perhaps another time." Jack interrupted it leading her to the living room, not yet prepared to have a fully armed Phryne Fisher around. "What can I offer you, Miss Fisher?"

"Beer will be just fine, Jack, thank you." She procured a bottle herself from the box of ice next to the sofa and opened the top with her bare fingers. "Cheers, gentlemen." And saluted the air in their general direction before taking a swig.

Three pairs of eyebrows raised and one smirking mouth followed her not very lady-like manners.

"You sneaky bastard!" Robert snarked teasingly. "You've been keeping her just for yourself all those months, bastard."

Phryne laughed at Jack's admonishing glare at his friend. For his credit, he didn't respond, in fact he knew how far from the truth that was, but just shook his head and took a swig from his beer himself.

"So, you all met in the army?"

"Robbo was our division's captain." Was the first thing the small and blond man named Phill spoke. He seemed to be the shy and introvert type.

"You never told me that, Jack. You're a captain."

“I'm an Inspector.” Jack pointed and leaned on the door connected to his kitchen. "Bob and I have known each other since childhood, Paddo and Reddy were assigned to our division in the middle of the war. We... were the only ones to come home."

Phryne just nodded in solemn understanding.

"But I'm sure that's not a good subject for such a pleasant company."

"There's no need to be so delicate with me, Bob. I was a nurse. But I agree it's not a good subject for the moment. Now, how are the chances for Abbotsford in the championship?"

With that the three men began to rally again with gusto, Jack remained quiet in his corner, looking at the image Phryne was making at the moment. She perched on the back of his sofa, discussing football with his friends with a bottle of beer on her hands and felt his chest tight. It felt so right, she seemed at ease in his house. She then looked at him, catching him staring at her. She smiled softly and raised her bottle at him, reminiscent from a few months ago at her birthday party. He couldn't avoid a half smile in answer.

She took a moment to give Jack an once over and she liked what she saw, his bare forearms and delectable moleskin trousers, collar opened, very different from the buttoned Inspector. Now he just looked like… a man. And licked her lips. She noticed then he wasn't wearing a scarf like his friends.

"Oh! Your scarf, Jack!" She called in between the discussion about the wrist injury of a player she had no idea who was. "I haven't returned it yet."

"Too hot for wearing it anyway, Miss Fisher."

"Are you a Abbotsford fan yourself, Miss Fisher?" Asked the one called Reddy.

"No, I've been kept for the game from some time now."

"For some time? Aren't you from England? Being titled and all."

"Born and raised down under, Reddy, Collingwood."

"You're a Magpie!?" Bob exclaimed. "I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore, Miss Fisher." 

They all laughed at his joke, though Jack wasn't sure his friend was really joking. Phryne shot the rest of her beer in one go in a way it would make Albert proud and everyone thought it was quite fitting for a Collingwood girl to do so.

"It could be worse, I suppose. You could be a West Melbourne supporter. Not all is lost, Jackie." Bob winked at him and Jack rolled his eyes at his friend again.

"One more, Miss Fisher?"

"Mmm, I think I will take the clue and leave you men for your manly activities."

"Just when I was going to ask if you want to wager on the game too."

"And what does our dear inspector say about it?"

"He says 12-10" Bob provided and Phryne laughed in delight.

"Tsc tsc, Inspector, and here I thought I was the only one corrupting you."

Jack snapped at her with that found exasperated glare of his and Phryne winked at him playfully.

"I really should be going now. It was a pleasure to meet you all, gentlemen." Jack picked her empty bottle and put on his buffet, while she gave his friends her farewells.

He helped her in her coat and he walked her out of the house.

"Thank you for checking on me, Phryne." He said when they reached the Hispano.

"By all means, Jack, I'm glad you're not sick, after all."

He opened the door for her and she couldn't help herself, she ran her hand on his bare forearm while entering the car. She felt the electricity through her fingers going all the way to her toes, that could be either from the recent growing tension between them or just the static from the vehicle's metallic doors. Jack's deep intake of breath indicated it was probably the former.

"I, ugh, about the scarf, Miss Fisher."

"Yes?"

"It was a present for you, please keep it."

" I will, Jack."

Phryne beamed at him and sat behind the wheel, Jack closed the door for her, but she hesitated in starting the engine and looked at him again instead.

"What?"

"You should take more days off, Inspector. They seemed to do you well." 

"I'm afraid  _ that  _ it's something beyond my privileges to decide."

"Well, next time you do, make sure to invite me along."

His broad smile was there again and her chest filled with pride and affection, two times on a day was quite the feat.

"Just to have stumbling on a dead body and wasting my scarce recesses, Miss Fisher?"

She gave him the tongue. "Spoilsport."

And he almost gave up on the urge of biting it.


End file.
